Improvement in apparatus for carbureting gas



J. A. BASSETT.

Carbureter.

No. 35,984. Patented July 29, 1862.

Witnesses dm Qwfffi Inventor:

AM- PHOTO-LITHQ- CO. NM (OSBORN E'S PROCESS.)

UNITE r STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. BASSETT, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN APPARATUS FOR CARBURETING GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,981, dated July 29,1862.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BASSETT, of Salem, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improvement inApparatus for Garbureting Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description of the same,re'ference being hadto the drawings an neXcd to this specification, which representinsection an apparatus applied to a lamp-post, and an enlarged view of thesame.

The nature of my invention consists in providing the outlet of agas-burner with a wicktube or its equivalent, connected with a reservoirof hydrocarbon liquid-as naphtha or benzole the burner and the tip beingmade separate, the tip fitting into the top'of it and confining thewick-tube at that point. The reservoir of naphtha is placed at someconvenient point to connect the gas-burner with it. The wick serves bycapillary attraction to, absorb and take up the naphtha and convey it tothe tip, where, by the heat of the burning gas acting upon the tip andthe burner, it is volatilized and mixed with the gas as it issues fromthe burner, and the sup-- ply being constantly kept up, the gas is fullycarbureted, whatever may be the surrounding temperature, the particularobject of the invention being to overcome the difficulty of carburetinggas at low temperatures; and this is accomplished in the most thoroughmanner by keeping the hydrocarbon liquid at the point where it is keptwarm by the heat of the gas, so that it is carbureted uniformly, whatever is the surrounding temperature; and this is an importantdesidcratum in exposed places, as street-lamps, where this inventionworks most perfectly.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to de scribe the same with referenceto the drawings.

Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus applied to a lamp-post, Fig. 2 beingan enlarged view of the same.

The same letters of reference apply to both drawings.

I construct the vessel A,ior holding the liquid hydrocarbomot'cylindrical or other shape, as is most convenient for the place it is toco cupy, of tin or othersuitable material, and connect it at the lowerend with the inlet gas-pipe H; and among other means I make thiswicktube of braided lamp-wicking, with the central strand drawn out,leaving a hollow tube. The top of the tube is'stretched over the top ofthe burner, which leaves an opening into which the tip F is drivengas-tight, confining the tube at the top of the burner, and inclosingthe lower part of the tip in a porous tube, through which the gas mustpass to get out of the orifices of the burner.

The tip F should be made of iron, brass, or-

some .good conductor when a hydrocarbon liquid is used, whichis notvolatile; but where a very volatile liquid is used, it is better to putin a lava or steatite tip, or one made of clay, which 'will conduct heatenough to supply the fl'ame. The tip should be partly in and partly outof the shell of the burner.

I prefer to have a chamber in the burner, in order to allow the gas toexpandand become warmed before it enters the tube surrounding the tip.By this means less heat is abstracted from the tip.

If avery volatile hydrocarbon liquidisused, a cap may be placed over theburner when it is not in use, in order to prevent the evaporation whichwould take placein warm weather.

If the burner is placed very close to the hydrocarbon-reservoir, Ishould prefer to use a non-conductor placed between the burner and thepipe connecting the reservoir, in or-' der to prevent the heat fromvaporizing the 4 naphtha in the vessel. As a general rule,

however, this will not be required, except in the use of a veryvolatilehydrocarbonliquid. By the use of this arrangement a hydrocarbon may beused to carburet the gas which is not at all volatile. Crude rosin,naphtha, and even some of the lighter kinds of petroleum oils may beused. This is an important object, on account of economy and safety.

In case a heavy hydrocarbon liquid is used,

a tip should be placed in the burner having the greatest conductingpower. Either brass or copper should be used.

A plug, I, is employed to close the opening used to replenish thehydrocarbon liquid.

The great difficulty in carbureting gas is that under a low temperaturethe hydrocarbon liquid does not vaporize and the gas does not take itup. Another trouble is that by evaporation the liquid becomes so muchcooled that it does not vaporize. This apparatus is not liable to any ofthese contingencies, but will carburet gas at zero, as well as at a moreelevated temperature.

I wish it distinctly understood that the object of this invention isentirely different from those vapor-burners used in lamps in which aburner, like a gas-burner, has the fluid con- .veyed to it by a wick andis then vaporized,

the arrangement described being for an entirely different purpose, itbeing entirely impossible to burn the'hydrocarbon liquid through theburner used without the aid of the gas.

It will be seen that the gas is carbureted by passing through the partof the wick which is saturated with hot naphtha or hydrocarbon liquid.In order to get at the orifices of the burner, the gas passes up to thehighest part of it, being warmed in its passage, and then passes throughthe wick-tube just at the point where it can be best carbureted.

No claim of-novelty is made to placing a reservoir of hydrocarbon liquidnear the burner, this device being old and well-known.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I claimtherein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-Thearrangement,substantiallyas described, of a gas-carbureting burnerwith the tube H, of porous or textile material, connected with the tip Fof the burner, and in communication with a hydrocarbonreservoir, as setforth.

JOHN A. BASSETT.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. APPLE'roN, JOHN R. NICHOLS.

